


An Arcana Halloween

by madziraphale



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Halloween, Nonbinary Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-28 02:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12596360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madziraphale/pseuds/madziraphale
Summary: A two-chapter series, set in a modern Vesuvia, of two apprentices' Halloween antics with Asra and Julian. First chapter is fluff (written by me!), second gets spicy (written by an account-less friend). The best of both worlds!





	1. Asra

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! 
> 
> A quick note before reading: this first chapter was written by me! The second will be the one written by my friend. She was generous enough to beta for me, and I did the same for her. We hope you enjoy!

Odie could hear the music clearly from within the mansion before they’d even gone through the front gate. This was shaping up to be another one of Nadia and Lucio’s out-of-control extravaganzas, only allowed to go on because it was too out-of-the-way for the local police to bother breaking it up. Odie squared their shoulders, righted their jaunty, pointed witch hat and hiked up a fishnet stocking before pushing the buzzer on the gate. The little screen lit up immediately, and Lucio’s face--much too close to the camera--appeared.

“Odie! _Darling_! So delighted you’re here!” he sounded drunk already, though the party had only started half an hour ago. Knowing Lucio, he’d downed a bottle or two of wine by now. “Come in, come in!” With that, the screen shut off, and a loud electric buzz emitted from the speaker. The tall, gilded gate opened just enough for Odie to squeeze through before shutting behind them, and locking again. With one last deep breath, the witch (at least for tonight) started up the long gravel drive towards Lucio and Nadia’s mansion.

 Two guards were stationed at the front door--privately hired security, likely Nadia’s idea--and were both dressed in costumes-- _definitely_ Lucio’s idea. Their intimidating auras were unhindered by their outfits: a rabbit and a deer. They eyed Odie for a moment, shared a look between each other, and finally decided to open the wide, wooden doors to let Odie inside. They nodded shyly, keeping their head down as they walked inside.

 The music was three times louder inside than outside, and Odie had to take a moment to adjust to the vibrations of the floor beneath them. They could already see a sizeable crowd formed at the entry hall’s opening; people laughing, drinks spilling, glitter and feathers and masks melding together as their owners swayed and twisted to the rhythm of the music. Odie immediately felt a wave of anxiety hit them. How were they supposed to find anyone they knew in this mess? Even with their height, Julian and Muriel would likely be somewhere far from the center of attention and thus hard to spot. Nadia, Asra, and Lucio were likely so opulently dressed that they’d blend right in with the crowd around them. As for Portia…

 “Odie! There you are! We were beginning to think you weren’t coming at all!” Odie almost jumped through the roof. While they’d been lost in nerves and fear, Portia had appeared next to them, dressed as her favorite Ninja Turtle, Michelangelo. It took a moment, but Odie responded when they caught their breath.

 “Did you get ninja training just to go with your costume?” Odie looked their friend over with barely concealed amusement. Portia was never one to give anything but her best, especially when it came to something as fun as Halloween. Their friend blushed in response, her darkened cheeks just visible beneath the orange cloth mask.

 “I was just born this way, talent gushing out from every pore,” she responded jokingly, despite the blush still on her face, “but, enough hanging around! We’re all on the back terrace with a big cup of Lucio’s Spooky Punch, waiting for you.” Odie didn’t have a chance to ask what in the world was in “Lucio’s Spooky Punch” before Portia grasped their hand and pulled them through the throngs of people piled into the house. Portia shot out “excuse me’s!” and “coming through’s!” as Odie trailed behind them, trying their hardest not to make eye-contact with anyone as they jostled through Portia-sized gaps that they _definitely_ couldn’t fit through without knocking someone over.

 At last, they emerged from the other side of the gauntlet, and Portia put her hands on her hips in a victory pose, turning to check on her charge. Odie tried their best to look unfazed, but it was hard to do so when adjusting their costume, re-adjusting straps and brushing off crumbs from people’s party foods. Portia looked embarrassed for just a moment before stepping closer to Odie to help them straighten their necklace.

 “You look fantastic, by the way,” she said, softly, her smile warm and friendly, “Asra’s gonna _flip_ when he sees you.” Her smile turned cheeky and Odie’s eyes widened. Their mouth opened and closed a few times as they tried to think of a comeback. Portia laughed loudly, eyes sparkling with glee.

 “Oh, don’t think you two are slick,” she said, “Muriel was the first one to notice, though I can’t say you were being shy about it. Besides, I think it’s cute. You two make a great couple.” Odie finally was able to close their mouth, eyes not meeting their friend’s gaze as they continued to adjust their outfit: a strappy black, flowing dress, with a fabric sash cinching the waist. Their curling vine tattoos were out on display, and Odie had put matching flowers around the brim of their hat, and was bedecked in every piece of gemstone jewelry they owned. Purple fishnet stockings and black velvet boots completed their ensemble.

 For some reason, dressed as a witch, Odie felt very at peace. Weird.

 “Now, enough talking about it,” Portia whined, “let’s get over there and see everyone before they run out of punch!” With that, the tiny woman dragged her friend behind her once more until the two emerged on the terrace. The night air was a cooling welcome from the stifling, crowdedness of the indoors. Stars spread in waves across the inky sky, and the garden was lit in various colors, giving the atmosphere an otherworldly glow. Nadia and Lucio had outdone themselves once again.

 Odie found their friends easily among the smaller groups on the patio, and only partially because Lucio practically roared in delight at the sight of them. Lucio--dressed in the shortest, most revealing toga Odie had ever seen--sported a sparkling golden halo, wings, and a lyre to match. He, Nadia, Muriel, Julian, and Asra stood around a tall table, each nursing elegant cups of what Odie figured was the infamous Spooky Punch.

 “Odie! Darling! You’ve finally arrived!” Lucio’s golden arm waved frantically at Portia and Odie. The two made their way over to the group, receiving greetings in a variety of degrees of drunkenness. Julian nearly fell over, had it not been for Muriel’s solid form next to him. Some of his punch went flying across the table, straight in Odie’s direction. At the very last minute, they felt an arm wrap around their waist, and they were pulled out of the splash zone. It all happened so quickly, it took Odie a moment to realize that they’d even moved, until a breathy laugh--barely audible above the sound of Julian’s hasty apologies and Lucio’s frustrated squawking--shook them back to reality.

 “I think we may need to cut Julian off from the punch. For our costumes’ sake as much as his,” Asra laughed a bit as he spoke, and Odie looked up from their new place in his arms to find that his gaze was on them. A flush of heat rose to their cheeks, though their eyes remained locked with Asra’s.

 “I...yeah,” came their eloquent response. Asra’s smile only grew. After another quiet moment, Nadia coughed, and both Odie and Asra turned to look in her direction. Everyone at the table was staring at them. Only then did Odie realize they were still in an embrace. Asra released them, though, to Odie’s delight, he left a hand on the small of their back.

 “Everything looks so beautiful, Nadia! And your costume, as always, is perfect.” Odie tried to shift the conversational topic into neutral territory. Thankfully, it seemed everyone was eager to do so as well. It also seemed to help Julian’s blush finally die down.

 “Opulence is unavoidable when living with Lucio, as you well know,” Nadia responded with a smile, “but thank you. I’ve been planning this costume since last year. The dress is handmade.” Nadia bundled her skirt, twirling a bit shyly. Odie knew how much she loved her dresses, and, truly, the swan was a perfect fit for her: beautiful, elegant, and not to be messed with.

 “Odie!” Julian’s slurred shout called their attention from across the table, “you’re lookin’ too sober. Here!” Carefully, so as not to spill, Julian slid a dangerously full goblet over to Odie, punctuating it with a wink. Odie couldn’t help but laugh.

 “Thank you, Jules,” they responded, “I’ll treasure it.” Julian beamed, fake fangs peeking out of his broad smile. Odie took a sip from the goblet and immediately winced.

 “I put a little extra spook in it, just for you,” Lucio chimed in from his seat on the terrace railing. The wink he sent Odie was the kind that felt like spiders crawling up your spine. They rolled their eyes and smiled regardless, taking another sip and holding back the urge to shudder at the bitterness. This was going to bite them in the butt later, they just knew it.

 

* * *

 

“Muriel! MURIEL! Can you _please_ put me on your shoulders? Pretty please? I wanna be tall! I _never_ get to be tall.” Odie ended their plea by setting down their goblet—a little harshly—on the nearest table. That had been their fourth so far, and... _boy_. I guess this was what Lucio meant by “extra spooky.”

 Muriel shook his head from beneath his white sheet, reaching up to placate his friend’s grasping hands. Lucio and Nadia had both gone off on separate “important party business” some time ago, and Julian, in a moment of drunken chivalry had challenged the unsuspecting party-goer who’d spilled part of his drink on Portia to a duel. Portia had been able to stop him before anything too serious happened, and had come back only after finding Julian a comfy place to pass out. Now, only she, Muriel, Odie, and Asra remained, still enjoying the crisp night air.

 Portia took another sip of her punch, looking thoughtfully between Asra and Odie as the former laughed fondly at the latter’s attempts to climb onto Muriel’s back. Suddenly, Portia had an idea. A _really good_ idea, she would say later.

 “Ooh! Muriel!” she said eagerly, grabbing a hold of the large man’s arm, “They’re playing my favorite song! Come dance with me?” Even from under the sheet, Muriel looked perplexed, until he saw Portia’s very slight nod in the direction of their two remaining friends. He seemed to get the hint. With a short, gruff “sounds great,” he swept Portia back inside and towards the music.

 Asra and Odie stared after them for a moment in confusion until Asra spoke.

 “Odie,” he started, “there’s...something I want to show you.” He extended a hand to an owl-eyed Odie, who only now was realizing they were _alone_ with _Asra_ and feeling pretty damn _tipsy._ “Come with me?”

 Internally, Odie laughed at his question. Even if he wasn’t looking at them so tenderly with his perfect, dimpled smile and gorgeous glowing eyes and...well. They would’ve followed Asra through a sea of vampire eels. Asra laughed suddenly, and Odie jolted back to reality.

 “No vampire eels where we’re going, I promise,” he said, taking Odie’s hand gently in his. Odie’s face exploded in a blush. They’d said that out loud? Maybe the vampire eels weren’t such a bad idea after all.

 Asra guided Odie through the weaving trails of Nadia and Lucio’s sprawling garden. The music faded into the background, and the colored lights of the garden illuminated the world around them in a magical glow. But, Odie only had eyes for Asra. He looked other-worldly, his faux mermaid scales shimmering in the changing light, the colors dancing in his snow white hair with each turn they took.

 “Ah, here we are,” Asra’s voice brought Odie out of their stupor, and they surveyed the area around them. The two of them had reached some sort of clearing in the middle of the garden, where an opulent fountain was framed by a willow tree. The flowers around them left a slight sweetness in the air. It was--to put it lightly--magical.

“This was my favorite place to sit, for the time that I lived with Nadia,” Asra said, leading Odie over to the fountain’s edge to sit. “When I needed time to myself, a place no one would find or disturb me, I came out here. I can’t even count the number of naps I took beneath that willow tree.” Asra’s mouth was curled into a small, wistful smile as he spoke, eyes wandering around the clearing. After a beat of silence, his eyes returned to Odie’s.

 “This place meant so much to me, which is why I wanted to share it with you,” he said, looking at the witch from beneath his lashes. “You, ah… you’ve come to mean a lot to me too. Well, you _have_ meant a lot to me for a long time and I just wanted to say--” Odie, in a moment of unprecedented bravery, moved the hand that wasn’t holding Asra’s up to cup his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise, his free hand coming to rest on top of Odie’s.

 “Asra…” Odie began, trying to fight the bit of drunken dizziness that still clung to them, “wow.” Okay, bad start. “You mean a lot to me, too. I mean, you’re _amazing_ ! So smart and talented and _beautiful_! And I really had a list of things to say in this particular situation, but now that it’s here all I want to do is kiss you and I--” Odie was cut off by Asra as he turned his face to kiss their palm against his cheek. He was positively radiant, his smile so big it threatened to crack his face in two. That only cemented Odie’s resolve.

 “Screw it,” they said, and began to lean in for a kiss. Asra followed suit, and Odie prepared for the fireworks they’d always wanted from this moment, so overjoyed for the fantasy to finally become reality. What they felt instead, however, was the harsh cold of the fountain water.

 Some point after they’d closed their eyes, Odie had lost balance on the fountain’s edge and swayed straight into the water. They came up sputtering, hair and clothes a sopping mess. This was it. Their magical moment ruined. They couldn’t even look to where Asra had been sitting, thinking for sure he’d be long gone by now.

 His honey-sweet laugh surprised them more than their sudden dip had, and Odie glanced from between their fingers to see Asra doubled over in laughter, tears streaming down his face. He was laughing, sure, but he hadn’t _left_. That was all the invitation Odie needed.

 “Hey!” they said with a smirk, “you’re a mermaid, right? Why don’t you join me?” With one swift motion, Odie snatched Asra’s nearest hand and yanked him into the water. He floundered briefly, splashing a bit before reemerging from the fountain pool. His curls were sopping wet, yet, somehow, his make-up remained unchanged. Now Odie was the one laughing, wiping their own soggy curls out of their eyes. Asra soon joined in.

 When their laughter began to die, it dawned on Odie how close they were situated. Asra noticed it too. They both went silent as Asra scooted himself closer, closer, until one hand was on either side of Odie’s hips. They sat still for a beat, lips barely a breath apart, before Asra closed the gap between them, full of fervor and want.

 Odie reciprocated in kind, a hand going straight to Asra’s hair to weave tightly into his sodden curls. Asra made a soft noise of pleasure that only made Odie kiss him harder. As if on instinct, Odie pulled away for the slightest moment, getting a whine of disappointment from Asra. His pout turned to a catlike grin when Odie turned the tables, pushing him to lean against the fountain rim and sitting astride his hips.

 They continued kissing eagerly, Asra’s hands coming to rest on Odie’s hips and back, pulling them flush against him. However cold the fountain water had been before, neither of them felt it now.

 Asra moved his kisses from Odie’s lips to their jaw, then to their neck and shoulders, littering them with hot, wet kisses and love bites. Each one made Odie whine a bit in pleasure. Asra smiled against their collarbone.

 “I hope you still have that scarf I gave you last year,” he said huskily, leaving another harsh bite on their exposed neck. “You’ll need it for work tomorrow...unless you don’t mind showing off all my hard work.” Odie tried to think of a witty retort, but they were too caught up in the moment. They did manage, however, to lean forward to Asra’s ear and nip at the lobe. He made a noise like a mix between a growl and a moan before pulling their lips back to his, tongues and teeth clashing in pure need.

 The two felt so content in their own little haven, too caught up in each other, that it took one of the guards shouting to pull them apart. They looked up at him sheepishly, Asra’s lips smudged all over with Odie’s lipstick, Odie’s shirt still wet and skewed awkwardly. The guard coughed awkwardly, somehow managing to keep their scowl intact.

 “There’s no swimming in the fountain,” the guard said, his voice stern, though he couldn’t meet either Asra or Odie’s eyes. The two damp culprits locked eyes for a moment, sharing an amused though embarrassed glance, before bursting out in laughter. The guard looked affronted for a moment, about to order them out again until Odie stood from their place on Asra’s lap, pulling him up with them. Asra elegantly stepped out of the fountain, offering a hand back to Odie to help them out as well. When they were both safely out of the water, Asra faced the guard, giving him an elegant bow by way of apology. Odie, embarrassed beyond belief, simply grabbed his hand and pulled him away before he could say anything else to make the guard even angrier.

 They jogged away together, laughing like a couple of schoolchildren, until they found their way back to the terrace. They practically bounced up the stairs, joking and laughing the whole time. Odie hadn’t felt this utterly giddy in...well, ever.

 “Tonight has been…” Odie began, as they and Asra settled on one of the terrace railing seats, “magical.” They punctuated their statement with a blissful sigh, leaning a head to rest on Asra’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around them, rubbing circles into their hip and resting his head on top of theirs.

 “It really has,” Asra agreed, placing a soft kiss on Odie’s head. His tracing thumb stopped for a moment with his next question.

 “Odie,” his voice was quiet, almost scared, “is this...is this something you want to continue doing? Not necessarily falling into fountains at costume parties but...being together? I just care about you too much for this to only be one night, but if that’s what you want then I’ll let you alone, but--” Odie placed a hand on Asra’s knee, causing him to lift his head and look down at them. The damp-haired witch looked not at him, but out towards the full moon in the star-lit sky.

 “Nothing would make me happier,” they said, smile bright, “I’ve wanted this for longer than I care to admit.” Asra beamed to match Odie’s, and he leaned in for another kiss. This one was soft, sweet, and full of hope. When they broke apart, Odie rested their forehead against Asra’s, gazing up into his violet eyes.

 “Happy Halloween,” they said, voice barely a whisper.

 “Happy Halloween,” Asra responded in kind.

 That night turned out to be sweeter than Odie could’ve ever hoped, even when they heard Portia’s too-loud whisper from behind a large planter telling Lucio and Muriel that she’d won their bet, and would be expecting their payment within the week.


	2. Julian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little spicier this time around. Classic Julian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again!
> 
> This chapter was written my dear friend Connor (@expectopotronus) on Twitter!
> 
> Enjoy another story featuring your favorite not-really-a-doctor.

Tugging on her witch’s hat self-consciously, Rowan weaves her way through the partying crowd with no set destination in mind. She regrets letting Asra convince her to wear this silly costume, a tongue-in-cheek nod to her profession as a real life witch and fortune teller. What Rowan regretted most though was coming to this Halloween bash to begin with, as her housemate and co-worker had slipped away from her side the moment they had arrived, apologetically stating that he had spotted some old friends and he  _ needed _ to go say hi, but he’d be back momentarily. Asra had promised not to disappear on Rowan this time, especially since he knew how anxious she became in large crowds, but the damn magician had up and left her anyway.  _ Whatever. _

 

Deciding to try to enjoy herself regardless of her sudden loss of a plus one, Rowan makes a beeline for one of the many refreshment tables set up in the grand ballroom, eyeing the fruit punch with earnest. Carefully grabbing a dainty and expensive-looking champagne flute from the table--man, Nadia and Lucio had really pulled out all the stops for the party--she ladled a generous amount of the blood red liquid into her glass. Rowan took a large gulp of her drink, only to spit it back out.  _ It’s spiked with alcohol. Of course.  _

 

Warily taking a small sip this time, the witch scans the room for anyone she knows, anyone she could possibly cling to until Asra inevitably meanders his way back to her. She quickly spots her friend, the hostess Nadia, but the woman is engrossed in deep conversation with one of her counsellors, Valerius. Rowan already feels out of place in Nadia and Lucio’s mansion, surrounded by so many beautiful guests dressed in lavish costumes. She doesn’t need to also socialize with a man who thinks she’s inferior to him and feel anymore unwelcome. Sighing dejectedly, Rowan’s gaze travels onward until it lands on Lucio who, of course, had taken centre stage to show off his dance skills.  _ Yeah, no, that wasn’t happening. _ While Rowan’s relationship with Nadia’s husband was cordial at best, even half an hour in that man’s presence was draining. Plus, Lucio had made several attempts to flirt with Rowan when they’d been in the same vicinity, and she wasn’t in the mood to thwart his come-ons tonight. Finding no one else she recognizes in the room, Rowan takes another sip of her alcohol-infused punch and heads for the exit.

 

She wanders down the halls aimlessly, eventually coming upon the veranda overlooking the estate’s lush gardens, and meets Lucio’s beloved hounds Mercedes and Melchior bathing in the moonlight. The two dogs perk up at the sight of Rowan and excitedly bound over to her, nuzzling into her sides. 

 

“Well hey there,” Rowan laughs. Crouching down to put her drink on the floor, Rowan then starts to give the creatures loving ear scritches. 

 

“Are you steering clear of the party?” She asks rhetorically, not expecting the dogs to actually answer her. “Me too.”

 

“Well that’s a shame, Halloween is the perfect excuse to let your hair down and enjoy yourself,” came a familiar voice from behind Rowan.

 

Startled, she quickly rises and turns to see Julian walking toward her.

 

“Julian!” Rowan vaguely registers the hounds retreating off into the shadows, her attention hyper-focused on the roguishly handsome man now standing before her with a devilish grin on his face.

 

“Hello Rowan, you’re looking simply  _ bewitching _ in your costume.” She blushes, folding her arms over her chest in an act of modesty as Julian’s gaze slowly travels up her body, clearly appreciating what he sees. She shivers, not unpleasantly, and not from feeling cold, either. Her reaction makes Julian grin smugly. Rowan tries to calm herself down, not wanting Julian to have complete satisfaction in her response to his flirtations.

 

“You have Asra to thank for my costume,” she teases back, winking.

 

This was their  _ thing _ , whenever they were together: Julian would unapologetically flirt with and charm Rowan, and she would find a way to tease him in return. There was an obvious attraction between the two of them, a constant thrum of white hot electricity, but neither of them was willing to take the next step over the edge --  _ yet _ . 

 

Finally noticing what Julian is wearing, Rowan grins wryly.

 

“You tease me about wearing a witch’s costume when I  _ am _ a witch, but how fitting that you’re dressed up as a vampire-werewolf hybrid, since, you know, you always look like you’re half-dead, you have a flair for the dramatic -- wearing that long and heavy leather overcoat when it’s thirty degrees out,  _ really? _ \-- you seem to be a creature of the night, you’re frustratingly beautiful,  _ and _ ,” there was a mischievous, knowing glint to Rowan’s eyes, “you have a kink for pain and blood.” 

 

Julian’s good eye widens in shock, and he averts his gaze, his face becoming nearly as red as his hair.

 

“Y-yes, well,” Julian clears his throat, “you wouldn’t… uh… you wouldn’t be entirely wrong in your comparison, Rowan.” Julian regrets choosing that moment to look back up at Rowan, who’s sporting a wolfish grin, making him blush even more.

 

Feeling emboldened by her slight victory, Rowan moves closer to Julian, placing a hand on his chest near the opening of his ruffled shirt. Julian makes an audible gulping noise as he looks down at the witch.

 

“Don’t worry, Julian,” she says coyly, “your kinks are safe with me -- and I think you look quite sexy in this getup.” Sliding her hand to rest on Julian’s bare chest, Rowan stretches upward to place a chaste but lingering kiss on his lips. Julian wraps an arm around Rowan’s waist as he eagerly returns the kiss, before quickly deepening it, overcome with his desire.

 

The pair kiss each other hungrily, wanting --  _ needing _ \-- more of each other. Rowan entangles her other hand in Julian’s unruly hair as she sucks his lower lip into her mouth, garnering her a low moan from the man. Encouraged by the noise, Rowan tugs on Julian’s hair while simultaneously scraping her nails down his chest, eliciting a louder and throatier moan this time. She smiles, pleased by her intended outcome, only to gasp in surprise when Julian’s tongue slides along the seam of her lips, seeking permission to enter. Rowan sighs happily and grants him access, letting him explore and taste her mouth. Once satisfied, Julian’s tongue retreats to then let Rowan reciprocate the action, the witch enthusiastically probing the inside of his mouth with her tongue.  

 

In need of air, Julian regretfully breaks the kiss with a groan, his chest heaving. The way Rowan looks at him, heavy-lidded eyes full of desire and pouting, kiss-bruised lips, looking slightly dishevelled as she pants heavily… a wave of heat goes straight to Julian’s core. His already too-tight pants now feel like they’re constricting him.

 

_ Rowan is going to be the death of me _ , he thinks, swallowing roughly.

 

Moving his arms to grab ahold of Rowan’s hips, Julian guides her backward until she’s pushed up against a wall, one of Julian’s hands coming to rest beside her head to steady them both. The movement knocks off Rowan’s witch’s hat, which makes her giggle breathlessly still out of breath from their earlier kisses. He smiles demurely at her, and this close, Rowan notices the vampire fangs that Julian is wearing aren’t the typical flimsy plastic ones but, rather, a high-end resin set which blend in nicely with the rest of his teeth. Aware of what Rowan is staring at, Julian’s expression becomes almost predatory, grinning wickedly to show off his fangs more.

 

He leans in closer to her, his lips grazing the shell of her ear, as he whispers huskily.

 

“I want to suck your blood.” Rowan’s eyes widen, a soft gasp escaping from between her lips. Julian pulls away enough to gauge her reaction.

 

“Y-yes,” she manages to stammer out, her heart beating faster and her face flushing a deeper shade of pink.   

 

Julian crooks a gloved finger under Rowan’s chin, pulling her in for another passionate kiss before breaking contact again, only to start kissing down the column of Rowan’s throat at an agonizingly slow pace. She shivers in delight, her entire body feeling like it’s on fire.

 

When Julian reaches Rowan’s pulsepoint, he nips at the skin, earning him a gasp, followed by a moan, when he then laps at the irritated skin with his tongue. He trails lovebites down the rest of Rowan’s neck, taking particular care on the crook of her neck where it meets her collarbone, before moving on to her shoulder. He then lavishes the other side of Rowan’s neck, ensuring it gets the same treatment. The soft sounds that Rowan makes while Julian is marking her up turns him on -- if it’s possible to be even more turned on than he already is. 

 

He leaves her wrists for last, pinning them both above her head. (Rowan’s hands had somehow both snaked their way into his hair as he bit and licked her skin, not that Julian minded, as she continually pulled on the fisted tufts of hair.)

 

He takes an especially long time with her wrists, enjoying the way Rowan squirms against him as he leans over her, bodies melded together.

 

But then within a blink of an eye, Rowan manages to grab ahold of Julian’s own wrists and rolls them so that now  _ Julian _ is the one pushed up against the wall. His eye widens in shock, then blinks rapidly to process what had just happened.  _ Well he certainly didn’t see that one coming. _ Rowan lets go of his wrists, not expecting him to move or run off, and grins voraciously up at him. Like a predator who has trapped its prey.

 

Teasingly dragging both of her hands up Julian’s chest to lace them behind his head, Rowan stretches up to whisper seductively into his ear.

 

“My turn.”

 

Rowan’s words makes Julian shudder, anticipation building low in his abdomen.

 

She kisses along his jawline, relishing how he’s already become figurative putty in her hands. 

 

Sliding one hand down to Julian’s chest, which Rowan slips underneath his shirt to rest over his heart, her other hand yanks hard on his hair, pulling his head backward to give her better access to his exposed neck.

 

He groans, licking his lips. Rowan takes that as her cue to bite down on the hollow of Julian’s collar, drawing a bead of a blood, which she quickly laps up with a swipe of her tongue.

 

Julian watches Rowan perform her ministrations with keen interest, his lust-blown pupils darkening when he sees her draw his blood and then lick it away.

 

“P-please, d-do that a-again,” Julian all but stumbles over his words, his mind fogged over with pain and pleasure.

 

Rowan grins mischievously at him.

 

“You mean  _ this _ ?”

 

Julian expects Rowan to bite his neck again, but instead she brings one of his hands up to her mouth, licking the pad of his thumb before biting it. Blood wells up, and moving Julian’s thumb back to her mouth, she sucks on it erotically, dragging her teeth along the digit. 

 

“F- _ fuck _ .”

 

With a popping sound, Rowan pulls Julian’s thumb out of her mouth, and kisses his hand tenderly before returning to giving him lovebites all over his neck.

 

Without thinking, Rowan brings her knee up to steady herself as she stretches to bite and lick the lobe of Julian’s ear. It’s not until Julian’s breath hitches and his fingers are digging into her hips that Rowan looks down and realizes she has rested her knee between Julian’s legs, right underneath his crotch area.

 

“Oh, let me help with that,” she says, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

 

She moves her knee slightly to rub up against Julian’s erection, which draws a delicious sound from him as he grinds down on her eagerly, trying to build up the friction. She pulls her knee away and stops Julian, who is heavily panting.

 

“Uh-uh, don’t get too excited, you can’t cum yet,” Rowan mock scolds, lifting an eyebrow in amusement when Julian whines in frustration.

 

When Julian doesn’t protest any further, Rowan smiles and gives him a quick peck on the lips.

 

“Good boy.”

 

Resuming her slow pace of rubbing her knee against Julian’s aching erection, Rowan lazily sucks on his pulsepoint in his neck.

 

Eventually, an agonizing amount of time later, Rowan has Julian so worked up and so close to the edge that his body begins to shudder.

 

“R-Rowan…” Julian all but chokes out, his voice absolutely wrecked.

 

“Hmmmm?” Rowan hummed in acknowledgement. She had returned to placing kisses along Julian’s jawline.

 

“I’m… I’m gonna…”

 

The next word didn’t come as Rowan and Julian heard another voice nearby say “Oh my god! Shit, I’m so sorry!” The pair froze, whipping their heads toward where the voice came from. Portia was standing there, her face as red as a tomato, slowly backing away while trying to keep her gaze averted from the scene in front of her.

 

Rowan and Julian both went as red as their hair, absolutely mortified.

 

“I’m sorry, I was asked by Asra to try to find Rowan because he couldn’t find her and he’s worried about her well-being, and I heard Julian’s voice, so I assumed that I’d find the two of you together, but I didn’t expect to find the two of you  _ together _ , and-- ugh. Now I’m gonna have to go to therapy for, like, ten years to try to cope with what I just saw.” Portia babbled, trying to both fill the awkward silence and explain her sudden intrusion. 

 

“Portia, please don’t…” Rowan finally found her voice, but she trails off, swallowing hard.  _ “Please don’t,”  _ what _ , exactly? Please don’t tell Nadia and Lucio what you saw? Please don’t tell  _ Asra _? _

 

Apparently Portia comprehends what Rowan is attempting to say because she nods her head in understanding.

 

“Don’t worry, love, your dirty little secret is safe with me!” Portia winks. “If it’s alright with you though, I’m gonna leave you two now and pretend like this never happened, okay?”

 

Rowan nods her head in affirmation as Portia gives a quick wave goodbye before turning to make a hasty leave of the situation. Rowan is pretty certain that as she watches Portia’s retreating figure, she overhears Portia say to herself, “Of all the possible scenarios to find myself in, why did it have to be catching my brother and my best friend going at it?  _ Gross _ !”

 

Once she’s sure her friend is definitely gone, Rowan turns to see Julian slumped down on the ground in a quasi sitting position, his head resting against the wall behind him. She moves to join him, sliding down the wall to crouch beside him.

 

“Well  _ that _ was embarrassing,” Julian grumbles. Continuing, he says, “I didn’t get to finish! Worse yet though is I didn’t get to repay you!” Rowan’s cheeks pink at that comment.

 

“There’s always a next time,” she murmurs, without even thinking about what she’s implying. Julian turns to stare at her, scrutinizing her face to discern whether or not she’s joking.

 

“Are you being serious with me right now?” He sounds almost hopeful. It makes Rowan smile sweetly.

 

“Well, I  _ am _ leaving you with blue balls, so it’s only fair that I finish what I started,” she winks playfully at Julian. “Besides, there’s an obvious attraction between us -- more than just physical, of course -- and I… I’d love to explore that option with you. If that’s something you want, obviously.” Leaning over to cup Rowan’s head in his hands, and rubbing a thumb along her cheek, Julian stares intensely and sincerely at her.

 

“Of  _ course _ I want to explore a possible romantic relationship with you.” With that, he pulls her in for a tender kiss. Ultimately he breaks from the kiss first, sighing, and rests his forehead against hers.

 

“You should probably get going; you don’t want to worry Mother Hen Asra more than you already have,” Julian jokes, grinning.

 

Rowan pulls back, making a face.

 

“Ugh, I adore him and all, but sometimes he really needs to calm his tits.” Julian guffaws with laughter. Rowan grins, pleased to elicit such a response. Giving Julian a kiss on the cheek, Rowan rises to stand, and Julian follows suit.

 

“Well, you know where to find me, Devorak.” She moves to leave before turning back to Julian.

 

“Oh, right! Happy Halloween!”

 

Julian gives her his trademark grin.

 

“Happy Halloween, darling!” He calls after her, watching as Rowan walks away, leaving him to analyze everything that had just happened.


End file.
